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Music

Chase Rice Honors His Parents’ Love Story With New Song, ‘Connie Lou,’ Talks Limited-Edition ‘Beer Chords’ Jeans [Exclusive]

Chase Rice first established a partnership with Coors back in August of 2022 when he reached out to the company to get permission to use an old photograph of his late father holding two Coors Banquet beers, as the cover of his I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell album. Now, nearly four years later, Rice is once again teaming up with Coors Banquet, this time alongside Wrangler, to honor another important figure in his life: his mom.

Rice has been a longtime fan of Coors Banquets, and he’s proudly worn Wranglers on stage plenty over the last 15 years, making this new partnership a “natural fit.” When the opportunity came around, he knew he wanted to do something more than just create a jingle type song with no real meaning.

Chase Rice; Photo by Lauren Tucker
Chase Rice; Photo by Lauren Tucker

Over the years, the country singer has written several songs inspired by his father who suddenly passed away in 2008. That album cover holds a lot of memories for Rice and while looking at it one day, he realized that he didn’t have any songs for his mom in his catalog. This new campaign felt like just the right time to change that. And so, the idea for his brand-new track “Connie Lou,” was born.

“When I knew they were working together, we talked about a possible song. I wasn’t sure where that would go…I kind of wrote the chorus in my breakfast room, and then I was writing with Dan Couch and Oscar Charles one day. And I said, ‘I kind of got this idea…if we’re ever going to do a partnership that is involved around a song, I don’t want it to be that jingle thing. I want it to be a great song and I want it to tell a story because that’s kind of what I’ve been doing the last three records is telling stories,” he explained to Country Now.

Plus, when it came to writing his first song about his mom, Rice was firm in the fact that it had to be something good.

“It’s got to respect her, and it’s got to respect the two brands as well. And that was a natural, easy song to write once we finally started going down the road. Dan asked me, ‘what’s her middle name?’ And Connie Lou is her actual middle name. I haven’t called her that in years, but when I played it for her at Red Rocks, that was a really special one…”

Connie Lou Cover Art
Connie Lou Cover Art

Rice assured his mom that this song wasn’t slow and wouldn’t make her cry tears of sadness. Instead, it became almost a sequel to Rice’s “Circa 1943,” a previous release inspired by his grandparents, as he tells the story of how his parents first met at a rodeo in 1978 and fell so in love that they were married by the very next year.

“We figured if we’re going to go down the road of Circa and Harold and Bernice are in the song, that’s all the sequel to ‘Circa 1943.’ This was Circa 1978 and they were married in 1979. So it was a natural fit with the brands.”

The tune, arriving May 29, begins by describing Connie Lou as a “raised right Baptist” who was “a little more wild than her sister Katherine.” Rice reveals that her parents, Harold and Berniece always prayed that she would find a “got it together guy” one day. However, instead of falling for a doctor or lawyer, her heart was stolen by a man wearing “a felt hat and Wranglers” who was “sippin’ Coors Banquets.” Throughout the tune, the true story includes effortless nods to the brands and culture that have shaped Rice’s life and music, further proving that this collaboration couldn’t be more fitting for the singer/songwriter.

“Connie fell for a felt hat and Wranglers/ On that Friday sippin’ Coors Banquets / He was the Cool Hand Luke of western Wyoming/ She was the belle of the dance hall/ She saw a wild young mustang ready to tame/ He saw the one that never got away/ Circa 1978 and the cowgirls sang/ Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na/ They sure sang,” Rice delivers on the chorus.

The story goes on to chronicle their life together, from getting married, owning a house and welcoming their “first little buckaroo.”

Rice was right when he promised his mother that the song would have a more upbeat, positive tone to it. “Connie Lou” is a feel-good, love-filled anthem that captures the joy of finding the right person and building a life together, wrapped in a timeless country sound full of heart and small-town, southern charm.

“I think it took her back to a really happy place of their relationship,” Rice shared of his mom’s reaction to the song. “And that’s what I wanted to be, especially, like I said, with summer festival season coming up, that’s where we’re really going to hammer this song at our live shows. So it’s going to give us a song that’s celebratory during our set as opposed to something sad.”

The singer goes on to note that he was “really excited” that Coors and Wrangler were both open to him putting together an actual story as a way to represent their brands.

“I wanted to stick true to who I am, but also working with these two American heritage brands was awesome for me because that’s what I wore in high school, that’s what I wore in middle school, that’s what I’ve worn on stage for years and the Beers, Coors banquet’s what I’ve drank because of my dad. So I’m really glad that it all came together and they were excited about the song.”

@chasericemusic

♬ original sound – Chase Rice

This marks the third collaboration between Coors Banquet and Wrangler, further celebrating the shared connection between country music, Western culture and storytelling. In addition to the song, “Connie Lou” also inspired a limited-edition pair of Wrangler’s signature “Beer Chords,” jeans featuring the chords from Rice’s new song printed directly onto the denim using ink infused with Coors Banquet beer, marking a first-of-its-kind design.

“I thought it was pretty perfect because I’ve done a lot of summer festivals over the years. There’s a lot of wranglers in the crowd…So it’s pretty perfect and fitting and there’s a lot of Coors Banquets at summer concerts as well,” he shared. “I think it’s really cool that they did it and you’re wearing the chords and the sound of a song on your jeans to a concert. I don’t think it could be written in the beer that you are drinking, so I don’t think it could be a better combo for summer.”

Alongside the “Beer Chords,” The Coors Banquet x Wrangler Collection will feature 32 unique pieces, including men’s and women’s apparel and co-branded caps. Highlights include the Denim Jersey, Brushpopper Cowboy Cut Work Shirt, Men’s Wrangler 13MWZ Cowboy Cut® Jeans, Women’s Reworked Short and Women’s Printed Vest and Bailey Flare Jeans.

Coors Banquet X Wrangler Collection
Coors Banquet X Wrangler Collection

The limited-edition collection will also offer just 250 pairs of the signature “Beer Chords,” released in two separate drops of 125 pairs beginning May 28 and June 4 at 12 p.m. CT at shop.coors.com while supplies last. Meanwhile, Chase Rice’s newest song, “Connie Lou” will arrive tomorrow, on May 29.

This collection marks the latest chapter in the brand’s “Start Your Legacy” campaign, a creative platform inspired by Coors Banquet’s western roots and more than 150-year history. Centered around encouraging people to chase bigger opportunities, the campaign also includes the “Connie Lou” Cover Contest, giving one emerging artist the chance to step into the spotlight and perform the song live onstage with Chase Rice.

In celebration of the collaboration, Chase Rice will debut “Connie Lou” during a surprise pop-up concert in Nashville tonight (May 28) as the brands take over the parking lot of Midtown hotspot Loser’s Most Wanted Bar & Grill for a celebratory block party launch event. Admission is free to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

The post Chase Rice Honors His Parents’ Love Story With New Song, ‘Connie Lou,’ Talks Limited-Edition ‘Beer Chords’ Jeans [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

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Categories
Food

How To Make A Watermelon Summer Cocktail With Just 2 Ingredients

This fruity and bubbly two-ingredient summer cocktail tastes great whether you make individual glasses fresh or mix up a pitcher ahead of time.

​Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips

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Entertainment

Case Dismissed Against One-Handed Woman After Traffic Stop

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A video has gone viral after an influencer and athlete shared bodycam footage of her traffic stop.

The bad news — or, at least, the weird news is that she’s accused of something that’s physically impossible.

In the video, the officer accuses her of scrolling through her phone with her right hand while driving. But she doesn’t have a right hand.

She’s an amputee. Instead of apologizing, the officer still issued the ticket, nearly forcing her to come to court months later.

Katie Thomas has one hand in this body cam footage.
A Palm Beach police deputy captured body cam footage of Katie Thomas not having a right hand after accusing her of holding a device in her right hand. (Image Credit: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

She had a rock-solid alibi

On February 11, a Palm Beach County police deputy pulled over Kathleen Thomas.

Katie is a 36-year-old adaptive athlete. She is also an influencer.

She does not have a right hand. Like many disabled folks, she is still able to do many things — such a drive. She just does it a little differently than someone with two hands might.

Back in February, the deputy explained that his department was doing extra enforcement surrounding distracted driving. He claimed to have seen her holding a phone in her right hand.

Someone holding a phone in their right hand would likely be distracted. However, Katie had a pretty good alibi.

As you can see from the bodycam footage — first released to Katie as discovery, then distributed on social media to widespread laughter — the officer walks up to issue the citation.

Even though Katie shows that she does not have a right hand, the officer was undeterred.

Now, this could have gone worse. Some traffic stops end in deadly shootouts, after all.

But the deputy persisted, issuing a citation — a $116 ticket, under Florida law.

He even bizarrely asked her to swear “hand to god” that she had not been holding a phone. That was a poor choice of words.

Case dismissed!

CBS12 has confirmed that Katie will not, in fact, have to pay a fine for a traffic violation that would only be possible through telekinesis.

(Point of order, Florida law doesn’t actually outlaw holding a phone. She would have had to have been using it, such as to text someone, to run into legal trouble.)

As it turned out, she did not even have to make her argument in court.

The officer who made the traffic stop requested that the charge be dropped.

Katie would have had to show up to court this week. Instead, her citation has been dismissed without issue.

Distracted driving does endanger — and end — lives.

That didn’t start with the invention of the cellphone, but mobile devices definitely make it a more widespread phenomenon.

But, obviously, Katie wasn’t endangering anyone. (And if she was distracted, it’s very unlikely that it could be proven in court.)

Changing driver behavior requires publicity and education. Otherwise, an enforcement blitz just looks like a cash grab from a police department.

Katie’s case wasn’t really about driving safety or disability rights. It came down to a particularly absurd example of someone refusing to back down in the moment. That’s a very human thing to do, but it’s also very funny.

Case Dismissed Against One-Handed Woman After Traffic Stop was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Music

[EXCLUSIVE] Why Brett James’ Death Hit Kip Moore So Hard

As Kip Moore grapples with the loss of his mentor, the music world feels the weight of a talented songwriter gone too soon. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Music

[EXCLUSIVE] Why Brett James’ Death Hit Kip Moore So Hard

As Kip Moore grapples with the loss of his mentor, the music world feels the weight of a talented songwriter gone too soon. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Alaska News

Alaska Legislature approves state’s first tax on e-cigarette products

E-cigarette products, also called vapes, are advertised in the windows of a tobacco shop in Midtown Anchorage, seen May 26, 2026. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

E-cigarette products, also called vapes, are advertised in the windows of a tobacco shop in Midtown Anchorage, seen May 26, 2026. Lawmakers have passed a bill that would impose Alaska’s first state tax on e-cigarette products. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Four years after Gov. Dunleavy vetoed a similar measure, lawmakers passed a bill imposing state’s first tax on electronic cigarettes and related products.

The legislature’s approval of Senate Bill 24 was a victory for Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak. It was the third such bill sponsored by Stevens, who is retiring this year.

“This bill is about protecting our children from becoming addicted to nicotine,” Stevens said in testimony to the House Finance Committee on May 7.

The bill is intended to counter the multibillion-dollar tobacco industry’s efforts “to addict young people to these substances” in the face of declining use of traditional cigarettes, he said.

E-cigarette products use battery-operated devices to produce vapors that are inhaled, a contrast with traditional tobacco that is burned. They were not widely marketed in 2006, the last time Alaska’s state tobacco tax was adjusted. While many Alaska municipalities have updated their tax systems to include e-cigarette products, the state had not.

If it becomes law, the bill would impose a 25% tax on retail products, as well as prohibit purchases by anyone under 21, the same legal age for traditional tobacco purchases.

Supporters of the bill said the tax and the age restriction would discourage youth use of the product, just as higher taxes and other restrictions contributed to a reduction in youth smoking.

“We know that tobacco and nicotine are highly addictive drugs. The younger you start, the more severe your addiction is likely to be, and if we can delay your introduction to the product, the less likely you are to become addicted. Young people are also price-sensitive,” Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau, who carried Stevens’ bill in the House, said in floor debate on May 19, the second-to-last day of the session.

Opponents objected to the idea of a new tax, and they also argued that vaping should be treated as more benign than smoking.

“My concern is that this isn’t a tobacco bill. This is a tax bill. This is tax, tax, tax,” said Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River. She added that she believes 18- and 19-year-olds should have the right to smoke or vape. 

“My point about this whole thing is freedom. They’re not doing anything wrong, and now you’re imposing a law to take people’s freedom away that doesn’t impair them. So, what’s next? We need to stop. These are adults,” she said.

The bill passed the House 24-16, and the Senate concurred the next day by a vote of 15-5.

Evolution of the bill

During public testimony on the bill, some opponents said that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking, an argument that the industry has made.

Health experts take issue with the claim. While e-cigarettes expose users to fewer toxic chemicals than cigarettes do, they also pose health risks. Along with leading to nicotine additions, they are associated with a dangerous lung condition called EVALI, which stands for e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury.

Stevens’ first bill on the subject passed in 2022 by wide margins, but Dunleavy vetoed it, citing his desire to avoid new taxes. Another version died in 2024 after members of the House, then with a Republican majority, stripped the e-cigarette tax provisions from it and added a reduction in marijuana taxes.

A key difference between the 2022 bill and the new bill is the way the tax is applied. The previously passed bill would have imposed a 45% tax at the wholesale level. The newly passed bill applies a 25% tax on the retail level.

The change reflects the varying types of e-cigarette products. While some are sold as complete units, others are not supplied to retailers as finished products. Instead, they are assembled by retailers from liquids and other components, and it would be very difficult to track down all those suppliers to impose a wholesale-level tax, bill supporters said.

A collection of electronic cigarette products confiscated at various schools is seen on May 16, 2023, in the state capitol. The products were collected by Tim Lamkin, an aide to Senate President Gary Stevens, prime sponsor of three bills over aimed to reducing youth use of e-cigarette products, also known as vapes. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
A collection of electronic cigarette products confiscated at various schools is seen on May 16, 2023, in the state capitol. The products were collected by Tim Lamkin, an aide to Senate President Gary Stevens, prime sponsor of three bills over aimed at reducing youth use of e-cigarette products, also known as vapes. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Senate Bill 24 underwent other changes on its way to final passage.

The most controversial was an amendment that allows indoor smoking at designated cigar bars. It was added by Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, during House floor debate on May 19, the second-to-last day of the session.

He said it would help local economies by allowing for specialty cigar bars that can be operated separately from any other food or beverage establishments. He pointed to successful cigar bars operating elsewhere in the nation.

“Frankly, Mr. Speaker, some adults just want a nice quiet place to go enjoy a nice premium cigar,” McCabe said in floor debate.

While anti-tobacco organizations advocated for Senate Bill 24 and previous versions of it, they said the cigar amendment undermines protections for smokefree environments.

“The scientific evidence is clear: there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and cigar smoke is no exception. Cigars produce large volumes of toxic smoke that damage the heart and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung disease—for workers and patrons alike. The only safeguard against secondhand smoke is not to allow it,” said a statement issued by the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Lung Association.

A different amendment, approved during the committee process, added synthetic nicotine products to the tax program. Those products are generally sold in pouches and deliver nicotine that is derived through a lab process rather than from tobacco.

Another change dropped the maximum fine for a minor possessing tobacco or nicotine products from $300, as proposed in the original form of the bill, to $100.

Federal policy

The federal government, like Alaska, currently imposes no excise tax on e-cigarette products, even though most states do. Democrats in Congress have tried to impose a federal e-cigarette tax since 2019 through a bill called the Tobacco Tax Equity Act, but the bill has yet to pass.

Among those who opposed it is Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. In a 2022 message, Sullivan said he opposed increased tobacco taxes, “even if done to curb tobacco use,” arguing that they are unfair to low-income consumers. And he said e-cigarette use should not be discouraged through taxation. “If taxes are raised on these products, I worry that it could exacerbate smoking issues by disincentivizing the use of these safer products,” he said in his message.

Legislative opponents of Senate Bill 24 cited Sullivan’s position on federal legislation in their arguments against a state tax.

The Alaska legislation comes as the Trump administration is loosening restrictions on e-cigarette products.

President Donald Trump has positioned himself as an ally of the industry. During the 2024 campaign, he pledged to “save vaping.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on May 5 authorized the use of four types of flavored vapes, including mango and blueberry, over public health advocates’ objections. Days before the FDA announced its decision, a subsidiary of tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump political action committee.

The Vapor Technology Association, an industry group, welcomed the FDA decision allowing fruit-flavored products back on the shelves and lauded Trump for it. But the group said it was only a “first step.”

The e-cigarette industry has lost some customers in recent years. Youth use of the products is down from a peak reached in 2019, both nationally and in Alaska, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alaska Department of Health.

Researchers attributed the decline in part to past bans on flavored products. And the CDC cited education campaigns to discourage youth vaping. The Alaska Division of Public Health is among the agencies involved in such campaigns; it has a youth-focused program called “Not Buying It.”

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Music

Did Riley Green Take a ‘Marshals’ Set Souvenir? [EXCLUSIVE]

Even a country star can’t escape the tight grip of set security. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Music

Did Riley Green Take a ‘Marshals’ Set Souvenir? [EXCLUSIVE]

Even a country star can’t escape the tight grip of set security. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Hip Hop

Jodeci’s ‘Forever My Lady’ Gets 35th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue

Jodeci Forever My Lady

For a generation of R&B fans, Forever My Lady is forever. This year Jodeci will celebrate their landmark debut album, released in 1991 at the height of the new jack swing era, with a new expanded vinyl reissue for its 35th anniversary.

The 2LP set will feature the original Forever My Lady tracklist plus five bonus tracks, including “Forever My Lady – Live From Uptown MTV Unplugged/1993,” the Swing Mob radio mix of “I’m Still Waiting” (as heard in the song’s music video), the radio remix of “Come And Talk To Me,” a previously unreleased a cappella version of “Stay,” and the hip hop version of the Fried Green Tomatoes soundtrack favorite “Cherish.”

Forever My Lady established Jodeci as hit-makers on the vanguard of R&B. The group’s pioneering mixture of traditional gospel-rooted vocals and synthetic production—spearheaded by Jodeci member DeVante Swing and young R&B peer Al B. Sure—became a dominating force at R&B radio. The forward-thinking sound was mirrored by the Charlotte quartet’s adoption of hip hop wardrobe and styling, which contributed to their status as game-changers.

Forever My Lady debuted atop the Billboard R&B chart, went 3x Platinum, and sent four singles to the Billboard Hot 100, including “Forever My Lady,” “Stay,” “I’m Still Waiting,” and the album’s biggest hit, “Come And Talk To Me.” In addition to its commercial success, Forever My Lady was a critical sensation. Critics praised the album for its innovative approach and masterful execution, including Entertainment Weekly’s Arion Berger, who called it a “forceful and assured debut,” “sophisticated beyond the band members’ years.”

“I was impressed with the fact that they were so young, but they knew who they were musically,” recording engineer Paul Logus later told Okayplayer. “They were so damn good at what they did. It was just unbelievable. The thing that blew me away instantly about DeVante was how musical he was and what a virtuoso he was with whatever he picked up.”

Listen to the 35th anniversary edition of Jodeci’s Forever My Lady here.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

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Entertainment

Gayle King: I BEGGED Oprah to Quash the Gay Rumors! She Refused!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

She and Oprah Winfrey are not and have never been an item.

Sorry, folks.

In addition to revealing how she once caught her now-ex and his mistress (her former close friend), Gayle King also opened up about the longstanding gay rumors.

When tabloids first began claiming that the two were secret lovers, Gayle begged her bestie to quash the claims. Oprah declined.

Gayle King on Call Her Daddy speaking
During her ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast interview, Gayle King delved into a variety of personal topics. (Image Credit: YouTube)

‘If we were gay, we would tell you’

During the Wednesday, May 27 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Gayle told host Alex Cooper how the gay rumors used to get under her skin.

“I tell you this, it used to really bother me,” the iconic broadcast journalist admitted.

It all started in 1993, when she — famously — caught her ex-husband, William Bumpus, cheating with a close friend. The two divorced.

At the time, a tabloid ran a nonsensical story claiming that Gayle and longtime bestie Ooprah were “secretly gay.” And it got to her.

“Number one, if we were gay, we would tell you because, believe me, there’s nothing wrong with it,” Gayle emphasized. “It’s just I prefer a man. I prefer a man.”

“And then I would say to her, ‘You’ve got to say something on your show because it’s hard enough for me to get a date on a Saturday night, and now people think I’m a lesbian,’” Gayle recalled telling Oprah.

“‘You’ve got to say something.’ And she said, ‘No, we should just leave it be,’” she recalled. “‘No, I’m just going to leave it alone. Leave it alone.’”

Oprah was, for 25 years, one of the most watched and influential people on the planet. She still falls into the latter category.

“So, well, that’s fine for you to say. You have somebody. I don’t,” Gayle remembered grumbling at the time.

“So, it used to really bother me,” she reiterated. “And now even today there are still people that say, ‘Well, you know, the truth is. …’”

Gayle King on Call Her Daddy
Journalistic icon Gayle King joined the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast in May 2026. (Image Credit: YouTube)

‘I’ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me’

Time has taught Gayle to care less about what others imagine her life to be like.

“I don’t care,” she bluntly admitted.

“I’ve now gotten to the point in my life that very few things get to me,” Gayle shared.

She explained that this is “because, you know, when you go on social media, it is an accelerator on hate.”

Gayle expressed: “As long as I feel good about what I’m doing … Otherwise, you’ll drive yourself nuts. So now I really don’t care.”

Oprah has been with Stedman Graham since 1986. She and Gayle met when both worked for WJZ-TV Baltimore.

Some people respond to gay rumors — in person or from tabloids — with explicit homophobia. Notably, Gayle is decidedly not doing that.

Incidentally, Gayle did not limit her commentary on relationships to clarifying that she likes men. She told Alex that she prefers younger men.

Honestly? Good for her. And, for what it’s worth, it’s pretty reasonable to be annoyed at people speculating that you and your bestie are secret lovers.

Gayle is a legendary broadcast journalist. She signed up to report the news. She never wanted to be the news.

Gayle King: I BEGGED Oprah to Quash the Gay Rumors! She Refused! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip